Patriots: Acquire cornerback Aqib Talib from Bucs

While the rest of the NFL's contenders were playing it safe at Thursday's NFL trade deadline, the Patriots made a bold move, acquiring cornerback Aqib Talib from Tampa Bay.

JONATHAN COMEY

While the rest of the NFL's contenders were playing it safe at Thursday's NFL trade deadline, the Patriots made a bold move, acquiring cornerback Aqib Talib from Tampa Bay.

Tampa gets New England's fourth-round pick, and the Patriots get a seventh-rounder from Tampa — and Talib, whose on-field ability has rarely been questioned. A first-round pick from 2008, Talib is a perfect fit with what New England wants to do in the secondary. He's big (6-foot-2, 202 pounds) and fast, and has been a starter for four seasons with the Bucs, known for his big-play ability. He has 14 interceptions and three touchdowns in 42 games since hitting the starting lineup in 2009.

What Talib does lack, unfortunately, is maturity. He was arrested in 2009 for assault, and indicted for aggravated assault in 2011 before the charges were dropped in 2012. And he's currently serving a four-game ban for use of the prescription drug Adderall, which will keep him out one more week.

If he's right, Talib probably steps right into the starting lineup, allowing the Patriots to use Devin McCourty at safety if they need to. If he's not right, it comes at the cost of a fourth-round pick — no small price, but with so many young players on the roster, New England can afford the risk.